An investigative team, armed with state-of-the-art equipment, high powered weaponry and a biting sense of sarcasm, must work together to defeat Black Lake's most ferocious resident: a 30-foot prehistoric crocodile! Betty W... more &raquohite co-stars as the cantankerous Mrs. Bickerman - a role you've got to hear to believe - in this terrifying tale of survival that "combines humor and thrills with remarkable deftness."&laquo less

Member Movie Reviews

Diana L. (ptomom) from SULTAN, WA Reviewed on 8/14/2013...

A fun movie for those who like their monster flicks with a healthy dose of camp and a pinch of sarcasm. Though it seems to start off seriously, it quickly shows it's campy colors. The actors seem to be having a good time throughout, and the giant alligator does too. Decent special effects aide the bloody mayhem. Great movie for a group viewing.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Suzanne B.Reviewed on 9/3/2010...

OK, I will admit I only got this DVD b/c of Betty White, but I really, really liked this movie. It was kind of campy and I enjoy that kind of humor, especially in a "monster" flick. The film doesn't take itself too seriously and I dig that. And, oh yeah, Betty White is freakin' fantastic in this picture.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Sara C.Reviewed on 12/7/2008...

Lake Placid places man against giant crocodile that has somehow made it to a serene lake town. This movie has all the makings of failure. However, I have to admit that it will sit proudly on my shelf as another one of my guilty pleasures. Is this an award winning film? Nope. Is this a film that everyone will like? Probably not. But the film seems to understand what it is...a campy, over the top, silly, somewhat gory creature feature and it feeds into it.
My favorite character in the movie definitely has to be Betty White. She could not have acted less like a "Golden Girl" if she tried. Her character is the definite comic relief and some of the things that come out of her mouth in the movie would make Estelle Getty blush.
If you like movies such as Eight Legged Freaks, Tremors, Arachnophobia, and so on...go ahead and give this movie a chance...you may just like it.

4 of 4 member(s) found this review helpful.

Movie Reviews

Comic horror which undeservedly bombed in theaters

Craig Larson | Maple Grove, MN USA | 02/17/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Written by David E. Kelley, the mastermind behind television's Ally McBeal and The Practice (both of which won Emmys in the "best of" categories last year), _Lake Placid_ is a comic horror film about the search for a giant crocodile, inexplicably living in a landlocked lake in upstate New York. When a diver is eaten alive in the opening moments, by some unknown creature, the local game warden (Pullman) teams up with a paleontologist (Fonda) from New York to find the beast. Add to this mix an eccentric millionaire philanthropist with a penchant for swimming with "crocs" (Platt), and the local sheriff (Brendan Gleeson), who thinks the man is nuts, and you've got the recipe for one of the more underrated of last summer's films. This is a horror film and it can, at times, get quite messy (see the opening attack sequence, for example). The special effects work is about what you'd expect in such a film, although with the advent of computer graphics, it's a lot easier to bring a realistic giant crocodile to life. Surprisingly, though, there are few deaths in the film. The emphasis is more on suspenseful moments of the Jaws variety, in which we wonder whether unlucky swimmers are about to become lunch. And, there are even a couple of gross, but funny moments in the film, as when an eccentric old lady (played by Betty White) offers random farm animals as sacrifices to the croc. But the real emphasis in the film is on the humor and there are some great conversations and arguments among the film's characters, particularly Platt's whacko croc-swimmer and Brendan Gleeson's sheriff (in one of the more unusual bits of casting, as the Irish Gleeson is forced to adopt an American accent, which tends to slip in some of the more heated moments). And White's character is also played for laughs (you'll be surprised at some of the inventive curses she comes up with). The film wasn't particularly well-received when first released last summer, but luckily, with its release on video, this can be remedied. This is not a film for everyone's tastes, but if, like me, you occasionally hunger for a "giant-animal-runs-amuck" film, _Lake Placid_ more than fills the bill."

Betty White Rocks!

Joshua Koppel | Chicago, IL United States | 05/04/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"A Fish and Game worker is doing a survey of beavers in a placid lake with the local sherrif when he suddenly becomes half the man he was and dies. Local law enforcement, Fish and Game, and a New York museum worker set out to discover what happened. They are soon joined by an eccentric millionaire who loves crocodiles.Is there a crocodile in the lake? At first few believe that such a thing could be until hard evidence shows up. The Crocodile is not an ordinary one, it is thirty feet in length. The camp is quickly split between those who want to kill it and those who want to save it. To learn it's fate you will have to watch the film.This is a very well-done piece of work. The characters are interesting and there is just enough sarcastic humor to really lighten the mood. Betty White plays a foul-mouthed local resident and her delivery of her "I'm rooting for the crocodile" line is an instant classic. This is a fun film and far from typical. It is not just a giant-lizard-eating-people film. Check it out."

Better The Second Time Around

K. Fontenot | The Bayou State | 06/13/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I hated this movie when I first saw it. I always felt that it tried too hard to be funny. However, it's been a few years since I've seen it, and I was bored one night so I gave it another chance. I'm glad I did. While it isn't as good as "Anaconda," it does have some good qualities about it. The cast does very well with the campy dialogue they are given. The interactions between Oliver Platt and Brendan Gleeson are downright funny, and their relationship really steals the show. Everyone talks about Betty White's character in this flick, and it is pretty funny to watch her spew out curse word after curse word, but my favorite line of hers is how she delivers the word "Sherlock!" to Gleeson's character.

The crocodile looks pretty good. In a couple of scenes it is obvious that he's an animatronic croc, but thank heavens that the entire thing isn't CG-created. It's nice to see that puppeteers can still find work in Hollywood. Though the puppets are great, the CGI isn't too shabby either. The croc really is impressive to see on the screen. He's definitely done on a higher level than the aforementioned "Anaconda."

I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys giant creature features with a hefty dose of macabre humor. Though it may be subpar when compared to other films of the genre, it is definitely better than the SciFi channel offerings such as "Dinocroc" and "Frankenfish." SciFi channel seems to be the last domain for larger-than-life creature flicks. Though I commend them for attempting to keep the genre above water, I wish that more camp-fests like "Lake Placid" could find their way to the big-screen."

MINDLESS FUN

Inspector Gadget | On the trail of Doctor Claw | 05/11/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Take away the beginning and end credits and what you are left with is a 75-minute long movie that wasn't worth the price of admission in the cinema but is worth owning on DVD. What I liked about Lake Placid is that it is kind of light-hearted and doesn't try and make itself a full-blown horror by showing us guts and entrails. The movie is NOT serious and has many suspenseful scenes packed into it's VERY brief running time. The cast are delightful and the big nasty croc is actually quite sympathetic at the end. Buy this DVD and enjoy for what it is...a light, breezy comedy-thriller that nails the bullseye instead of aiming for higher (and ultimatly lesser) results. The DVD has some promotional material and a trailer. It is in Dolby 5.1 and is letterboxed at 2.35:1."

Not horror, not in the least... but funny...

CitiB | Texas | 06/27/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Pretty fun. Light hearted as a movie where a huge reptile bites people in half can get I suppose. Um, the plot isn't really a factor here, just the execution. The movie doesn't take itself seriously, and it moves at a very brisk pace. The performances are fun and care free, Oliver Platt's hilarious, so is everyone else with much of a speaking role (Betty White steals the show). Pure popcorn entertainment, and pretty delightful... The only flaw I suppose is that it's so lighthearted it's somewhat forgettable. I didn't even remember it until I saw the video cover in a rental store and was like "oh yeah, that was fun..." It's not JAWS, and it doesn't want to be, it just wants to entertain, and who am I to stop it from doing so? Overall, a solid, exciting experience."